It is almost certain that at least a few of your guest lodges in Harare will be travelling to the wedding from out of town. If they have decided to take time off work and travel to your destination then the least you can do is make sure you do your best to take care of them. Some couples may choose to pay for their out-of-town guests’ lodging, of course, if it fits within their budget. If it does not, here are some guidelines and suggestions to help you along the way.
Contact hotels in your area to see if you can get any discounted rates when booking a group reservation. Many hotels do offer discount packages or sometimes even give you a free room with a certain number of rooms booked. Don’t limit yourself to one hotel but offer two, one moderately priced and one more expensive. This will give your guests the option to choose the one that fits within their budget. If not, then you must consider car rental or shuttle service to accommodate these guests. You cannot leave them stranded at the hotel.
How to choose the most suitable lodges?
- When the choices have been made on the Harare accommodation, guarantee to place a bit of paper in the greeting with the lodgings’ names, rates, addresses, organization telephone number/email and nearness to the congregation/scene. Should a vehicle rental or transport administration be required, incorporate their contact data also. It is essential to give this to your visitors so they can settle on an educated choice on how and where they will travel.
- If your budget allows, putting a small welcome basket in each hotel room would be a memorable gesture. In addition, you can have a small itinerary of the weekend’s events such as the rehearsal dinner or family barbecue or breakfast, should they like to attend. If not, list some local attractions such as area shopping malls, sports stadiums, beaches or parks, and popular restaurants.
- If these options seem to have too many added costs, then you can consider opening up the idea to close family and friends to take these guests in while in town. To some, this may present an inconvenience, but many will be more than happy to do this. You can arrange to have family cars available to them for use as well. Ideally, guest lodges in Harare are the perfect solution for out-of-town guests as they only have to pay for their flight, train or car ride to the wedding.